Shark Attack!
Today was Australia's fourth and fifth shark attack...both in Sydney!
The first was in Sydney Harbour which is apparently a breeding ground for bull sharks who are very aggressive. The man that was attacked thankfully survived but lost his leg and hand in the process. I never knew why all the harbour beaches had shark nets before. They have called swimming in the harbour unsafe during the shark season. Sharks are seen daily in the harbour, as the water becomes cleaner as the city has cleaned it up in recent years and the new ban on commercial fishing also means there is more food. The best part is that they aren't going to cancel any of the upcoming swim events in Sydney Harbour as they say the swims are well patrolled but we wont be participating.
They do have good shark patrols by helicopter and boat at the ocean beaches but it obviously is not good enough as the second attack at Bondi Beach. This was the first at Bondi Beach in 80 years and swimmers and surfers will not be allowed back in the water until it is declared safe. This man was surfing and the shark bit off his hand...he didnt even see the shark. There are usually surf lifeguards on duty during the day bu there were no lifeguards on duty after 5 so other surfers helped him get a makeshift tourniquet to stop the bleeding and carried him on a surf board to the road.
The worst times to be in the water are at dawn or dusk, when sharks are feeding, especially on overcast days and when surf conditions are rough so hopefully we will stay out of the way. Australia has an average of 14 shark attacks per year, so there are sure to be more. Just didnt expect so many to be so close to home (3 of the 5).
The first was in Sydney Harbour which is apparently a breeding ground for bull sharks who are very aggressive. The man that was attacked thankfully survived but lost his leg and hand in the process. I never knew why all the harbour beaches had shark nets before. They have called swimming in the harbour unsafe during the shark season. Sharks are seen daily in the harbour, as the water becomes cleaner as the city has cleaned it up in recent years and the new ban on commercial fishing also means there is more food. The best part is that they aren't going to cancel any of the upcoming swim events in Sydney Harbour as they say the swims are well patrolled but we wont be participating.
They do have good shark patrols by helicopter and boat at the ocean beaches but it obviously is not good enough as the second attack at Bondi Beach. This was the first at Bondi Beach in 80 years and swimmers and surfers will not be allowed back in the water until it is declared safe. This man was surfing and the shark bit off his hand...he didnt even see the shark. There are usually surf lifeguards on duty during the day bu there were no lifeguards on duty after 5 so other surfers helped him get a makeshift tourniquet to stop the bleeding and carried him on a surf board to the road.
The worst times to be in the water are at dawn or dusk, when sharks are feeding, especially on overcast days and when surf conditions are rough so hopefully we will stay out of the way. Australia has an average of 14 shark attacks per year, so there are sure to be more. Just didnt expect so many to be so close to home (3 of the 5).
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